Rio Rancho Observer

SPORTS Gutierrez, an Albuquerque native, is no stranger to hockey in New Mexico Gino Gutierrez works rinkside. RIO RANCHO — The inaugural voice of the New Mexico Goatheads is official. The team announced Friday that Gino Gutierrez will serve as the team’s play-by-play broadcaster for the 2026-27 season. “We’re extremely excited to have Gino behind the microphone for our inaugural season,” said Lucas Kalish, director of marketing, in a press release.

RIO RANCHO β€” Rio Rancho's Mariposa community is hosting the sixth annual Harvest Festival from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 12. The community event in Mariposa Community Park, 2501 Mariposa Parkway Ave. NE, will feature artisan goods from local crafters and makers, a variety of food trucks, kids' games and crafting areas, community booths and local vendors. Additionally, the Artists of Mariposa will have items available at the recreation center.

BUSINESS FLEX system allows for personalized way to produce RNA targeted at cancer treatment NTX's new FLEX system takes out the middle man of RNA production. RIO RANCHO β€” Ribonucleic acid β€” known as RNA β€”  something in all living beings, will be produced more efficiently thanks to a Rio Rancho business. NTx Bio created a new system for producing RNA called the FLEX.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT Office remains two positions short as number of parcels continues to grow BERNALILLO — With the help of Chief Assessor Richard Shanks, Sandoval County Assessor Ed Olona detailed property tax assessment in a required annual presentation to the Sandoval County Commission Aug. 26. One of the biggest concerns Olona brought to the commissioners was staffing in the assessor's office. "We have 42 employees for 44 (budgeted) positions.

RIO RANCHO — This week in volleyball saw an abrupt head coaching change for one of the original members at Rio Rancho High School. Longtime coach Toby Manzanares was placed on administrative leave, with Todd Hogan assuming head coaching responsibilities. Cleveland volleyball dominated out of the gates, starting the season 6-0. Understandably, this earned the Storm the No. 1 spot in the MaxPreps New Mexico Girls Volleyball Rankings.

BERNALILLO — "I shot him. I was scared for my life," defendant Adam Kruse said during his testimony Sept. 3, the third day of a retrial in the killing of Josiah Yazzie in Northern Meadows on Dec. 10, 2024. Kruse, 60, of Rio Rancho, was initially charged with first-degree murder for Yazzie's death near Dixon Meadows, Drive but he is now on trial for second-degree murder due to a jury previously dismissing first-degree and deadlocking on second-degree.

CRIME Battery occurred not far from Rio Rancho dispensary RIO RANCHO — A man was arrested after allegedly strangling a man for not selling him marijuana, despite a cannabis store being a few feet away. Elijah Curley, 26, of Albuquerque, was arrested Aug. 28 for aggravated battery causing great bodily harm, resisting arrest, DWI, driving while license revoked and careless driving near Verdes Cannabis on Grande Boulevard.

SPORTS Forward German Yavas has been named to the New Mexico Goatheads roster. RIO RANCHO — One month away. With the calendar now flipped to September, the wait for New Mexico Goatheads hockey is winding down. Puck drop is creeping in, and the new team is still adding to its roster, signing forwards German Yavas and Tyler Drevitch to the team. A native of Belarus, Yavaș came to the United States in 2021 to continue his hockey career.

SPORTS Cleveland and Rio Rancho will be on the road, while Bernalillo will host Española Valley Cleveland QB Michael Denison warms up before a practice in August 2025. As the 2026-27 high school football season begins to settle in, multiple schools will embark on their toughest journey yet. Not just on the field, but the demands off of it as well. Not only will Cleveland and Rio Rancho play their first road games of the season, they’ll be well traveled in the process.

SANTA FE ‚ÄĒ The New Mexico Supreme Court on Thursday blocked Democrats‚Äô attempts to get fill-in candidates on the ballot in two state House races in which the party‚Äôs initial nominee had dropped out. The divided ruling by the state‚Äôs highest court ‚ÄĒ Justice Michael Vigil dissented ‚ÄĒ means Republican candidates will get a free ride in the two districts, as the filing deadline for write-in candidates has already passed.